- Callum's Point of View -

I woke up with a jolt, rubbing my eyes to get them accustomed to the early morning light. I had had a nightmare of Em dying, and I almost believed it. It had seemed so real. And I had no way of knowing if it...If it...If it really was.

"No!" I said out loud, shaking my head.

"Don't you dare start thinking like that."

I got up and started packing my things, deciding that I wasn't hungry. Not that I wasn't, it's just that I had very little food with me and would need to save it up as much as possible.

"Welp, do you think I'm an idiot for doing this?" I asked my horse, Chesca.

"I mean, what did Rowan ever do for me? She abandoned me and left me to be an orphan. She tried killing our dad. I mean, even if he is a bad man, she still shouldn't have done that."

Chesca looked at me, but didn't answer.

"Of course not. You're just a horse...Samantha would probably know what to do. She's always right, it seems...And she told me to go. That settles it. Time to go."

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- Rowan's Point of View -

"Yes, Miss De Levon, but-" Jeffrey told me, but I cut him off.

"I told you. My name isn't Miss De Levon. It's Rowan. So call me that."

"Sorry - Rowan - but this is suicide."

"It's only suicide if it doesn't work. And it will."

"How do you know that?" Gavin asked me.

"I just know." I shrugged, popping a grape into my mouth.

We were in the cellar and my dad actually had pretty good taste in foods and drinks. Being 25 I was of legal age to drink alcohol, but I never really cared for it myself. I mean, it's okay to have a little bit every once in a while and it actually works really well when you're sick, but I'd seen my dad get drunk so much that I'm determined to never do it myself.

"I don't know how you can say that. The odds are definitely not in our favor." Jeffrey told me.

"Look, think that it'll work, and it'll work. You're not gonna do any good saying it won't."

"Do you even have a plan?" Gavin asked.

"Oh yeah." I answered, stuffing another grape in my mouth.

"Well? What is it?"

I looked from Jeffrey to Gavin, then to the grape in my hand.

"We're gonna need a lot of wine."

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- Samantha's Point of View -

I sat down on the chair next to the bed where Emma was sleeping and stared out the window, watching as a bird landed on the sill and started pecking at the flower pot there.

"Samantha? You okay?" I heard Liz's voice come from the doorway.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit tired." I answered, slouching in my chair.

"I should think so. You haven't gone to bed in two days."

"I couldn't, even if I wanted to. There's just so much going on, I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink."

"Samantha...?" I heard Emma mumble.

I jumped out of the chair and walked closer to the bed.

"Yes?"

"Where's...Where's Callum?"

Liz and me looked at each other, not sure what to do.

"He left to go help Rowan." Joe said from the doorway.

Since everything had started happening he sort of stayed out of the way and kept his mouth shut. He knew that there was nothing he could do to help and that we were busy. He hadn't really said anything up till now.

"He what?" Emma asked, turning her head toward Joe.

"I told you, he went to go help Rowan. She ran off a couple nights ago to do something and now he's gone after her."

"To do what?"

"We don't know." I told her.

"It doesn't matter...I already know." She said, wincing as she tried moving.

"I'd try not to move if I were you. You're in pretty bad condition." Liz said.

"Thanks for the warning." Emma said sarcastically.

I laughed.

"What?"

"I think you're getting a bit better. You'd never make a crack like that if you were about to d-" I stopped as soon as I realized what I was saying.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, but then Emma closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. She really was in bad shape. Her regular pretty face was pale and looked drained. Even if she did survive, she'd probably never fully recover.

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- Rowan's Point of View -

"Alright, do you remember the plan?" I asked.

They both nodded and I ran over to the other side of the hall. I leaned against the archway, out of sight of anyone coming down the hall. Now we just have to wait, I thought.

....................................................................................................................

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" I heard my dad's voice shout from down the hall.

I gave the thumbs up to Jeffrey and Gavin and they nodded.

"WE HAD HER IN OUR GRASP AND YOU JUST, GIVE UP? WHAT KIND OF SOLDIERS ARE YOU?"

His voice was closer this time and Gavin put two fingers up. That meant that there were two other people with him. Jeffrey raised his hand and after a pause brought it down. I quickly stuck my foot out and felt the impact of Louis De Levon tripping over it and coming into view, crashing to the ground. I grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, looking him strait in the eye.

"Hello again." I said threateningly.

Just as I did this Jeffrey and Gavin poured the barrels of wine on top of the soldiers that were heading toward me, causing them to slip and fall, losing their on their weapons.

"What are you going to do with me?" My dad asked, trembling with fear.

I glared at the coward for what seemed forever and then glanced over to where Callum was waiting.

"I'll let him do the honors." I said, shoving him toward Callum.

"Should I know you?" De Levon asked Callum.

"You should, but you don't. Not anymore that is."

Then dad's eyes grew wide as he realized who it was.

"Callum?"

Callum glared at him and then started dragging him out of the castle by the collar.

"Callum," Dad begged. "I've always wanted you to be ruler of my kingdom. You were always the one I wanted."

We were outside now, standing on the docks by the water, and Callum turned abruptly toward him, shoving him in the other direction.

"You never cared about any of us. Not Rowan, not mom, and not me. All you ever cared about was your own skin...You deserve to die." Callum said, drawing his sword.

"Callum, don't!" I said.

"Stay out of this Rowan...I have a favor to keep."

Callum brought his sword back, and just as he brought it down to strike, he shoved his foot into De Levon's stomach, sending him soaring through the air and crashing into the water of the moat.

- AHA!!! Man, I'd give anything to see your guys' faces right now. I had like 20 people yelling at me for killing Em and I was practically bursting on the inside. All I wanted to shout out was, SHE HASN'T DIED!!!! I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU!!! Man, I gotcha good. Admit it! You thought she was dead. LOL XD. To be honest, I didn't expect to get tackled for it, but it happened and only made the effect even better. LOL XD. Well, I'll stop bragging now and let you continue with your lives. Thanks for reading this chapter :D - Anna